We’re still not over Rihanna’s return to music. After taking six years and five months off to sell skincare and make-up products, create a massive underwear company, have a baby with ASAP Rocky — basically, any and everything but music, Rihanna came back with a brand new song co-written by our very own Tems. But in all of this, the only question on my mind is: where the hell is Runtown?
The last time Runtown dropped a banger, If E Happen for Lagos, was on December 24, 2020. His break isn’t as long as Rihanna’s, but within this period alone, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, Davido, and Mr Eazi have all dropped projects, and I’ve not even added the 50 songs Asake has dropped in 2022 alone.
Unlike most of you, I remember Runtown’s magic. Or has everyone forgotten Mad Over You, the unofficial national anthem of 2016?
I guess I’m not the only one who remembers.
Mad Over You was a major cultural reset. At the time, Nigerians were finally getting into the new Ghanaian bounce sound after Mr Eazi’s 2013 and 2015 singles, Bankulize and Skin Tight. But instead of just coasting on a similar beat, Runtown took that sound and created something that was truly his own, and it worked. While Mr Eazi continued his formula with Leg Over and Maleek Berry popped up on the scene as an artist with Kontrol, none of these songs could match the energy, Mad Over You had.
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Runtown followed Mad Over You with back-to-back hits, proving he wasn’t a one-hit-wonder. In 2017, he dropped Said with Nasty C, Energy and Why with DJ Neptunes in 2017. And by 2018, he came through with For Life, Oh Oh Oh (Lucie) and Gimme Love with Seyi Shay. Before his final hit song, If E Happen For Lagos brought us out of lockdown in 2020, Runtown dropped an extended play (EP) in 2019, Tradition with the hit single, International Badman Killa.
Another shocking fact: Runtown still doesn’t have a proper album till date — no, Soundgod Fest Reloaded
No one asked me, but I’ve decided to put on my Sherlock Holmes winter jacket and find out what Runtown has been up to.
He’s been hinting at a new album since 2021
Runtown has recorded an album. Like, an album actually exists.
Exhibit A:
After hinting at the album way back in April, 2021, Runtown references the album, Signs, again in May of that year while celebrating the second anniversary of his Traditions EP.
The album’s former lead single was announced way back in 2019
This image from November, 2019 looks simple and harmless (or so I thought), but Propaganda was supposed to be the first single off Runtown’s upcoming album.
Exhibit B:
Yes, that’s a tweet from September this year [2022] announcing Propaganda as his first single of the year, and Signs as his official album to be released November 18, 2022.
This man has even shot videos
Visuals? So Runtown is hoarding videos? Na wa o.
New single announced
Yes, Runtown seems to have exchanged his initial single, Propaganda, with a new song set to be released November 2, 2022 titled Things I Know.
Can we trust Runtown to actually drop new music?
No. Just like Rihanna, who told us new music was on the way multiple times, Runtown has been hinting at a single and album since 2019. He was even so sure it’d drop that he tweeted this last year:
That being said, if you know Runtown, please tell him that enough is enough, and we can’t take it anymore.
Runtown, where is the music?
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